 has reported that a rarely encountered bird in Europe has arrived in the Republic of Moldova at the end of June. It is the Yörük, a steppe eagle (Aquila nipalensis), which embarked on its journey from Turkey and, after visiting Bulgaria, Romania, and Ukraine, entered our country for a brief visit.){kind=link}
The Society for the Protection of Birds and Nature (SPPN) has reported that a rarely encountered bird in Europe has arrived in the Republic of Moldova at the end of June. It is the Yörük, a steppe eagle (Aquila nipalensis), which embarked on its journey from Turkey and, after visiting Bulgaria, Romania, and Ukraine, entered our country for a brief visit.
Yörük, meaning “nomad” in Turkish, has been equipped with a satellite transmitter since it was a chick in the Konya region. The bird spent the winter in Chad (Africa) and then returned home to Turkey, from where it began exploring Eastern Europe. Thus, after passing through Bulgaria, Romania, and Ukraine, the steppe eagle took a detour and landed here on June 24, 2023, in the fields at the intersection of the Florești and Sângerei districts.
Source: Facebook/SPPN
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After this flying break, Yörük left the country and continued its journey eastward. It is currently located in the Donetsk region of Ukraine.
These pieces of information were shared with SPPN by Mr. Burak Tatar, a biologist in the Department of Nature Conservation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Turkey. Together with the Directorate of Natural Parks in Turkey, the department is managing a project aimed at developing action and conservation plans for the species Aquila nipalensis, which is among the endangered species in Turkey.
Source: Facebook/SPPN
This species of eagle is most commonly found in Asia but also reaches Eastern Europe. The nesting population in Europe is small, with around 5,000 to 20,000 pairs. From 1970 to 1990, there was a significant population decline due to human persecution and habitat loss resulting directly from the conversion of steppes into agricultural land.
For the Republic of Moldova, the steppe eagle has always been a rare species, and the latest observations indicate that the species was passing through until the mid-1960s (Averin and Ganea, “The Birds of Moldova,” 1971).